# What wild animal are you most likely to be attacked by in your current location? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281 "2014-09-22T22:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/101 "2014-09-23T20:50:55Z")
At the right time of year, there’re a couple of squirrels who live in a tree right outside who seem to entertain themselves by throwing nut shells at moving objects. Apart from them, once or twice I’ve heard coyotes at night, but they’re not a serious threat. What can I say, I don’t live in the outback. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/102 "2014-09-23T21:06:29Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Just a few weeks ago I had four strong men drag a huge snake (easily 3-4 meters long) out of a tree in front of my house. Next possibility would be a centipede. And not your pansy-ass house centipede, but one of those space alien type centipedes as long as your forearm with the huge pincers. After that, possibly a monitor lizard. Oh, honey. You should move. I think the animal most likely to attack and cause real damage here would be an escaped bull. We live in cow country (Missouri); they’re everywhere. They seem well-contained, but I’m guessing there are occasional strays. A friend’s horse got killed by a mountain lion a few months ago, so there’s that. You hear coyotes, but I think they’re unlikely to attack people. I listened to a podcast a while back which told the story of a woman who was attacked by a rabid raccoon on her driveway. It was quite harrowing, although the story of how hard it was to procure rabies vaccinations afterwords was scarier. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/103 "2014-09-23T21:13:09Z")
Did I miss it or am I the only one running from moose? NH, I laugh at your fisher cat. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/104 "2014-09-23T21:15:43Z")
(Portland, OR) I wasn’t aware of the grave danger until last week, but evidently [a bat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ZLHnwVxuc). ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/105 "2014-09-23T21:16:31Z")
> [@pbbth](#): > > Turkeys. Wild turkeys maybe, but careful with those domestic birds. I don’t\*\*\* think\*\*\* they can fly. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/106 "2014-09-23T21:28:25Z")
Southern New Hampshire. Coyotes or Coy Dogs. Not sure which they are but I hear them every night in the months the windows are open at night. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/107 "2014-09-23T21:33:44Z")
I live in Nashville, Tennessee – there is a non-zero chance that I might be attacked by stray dogs, coyotes, opossums, squirrels, chipmunks, pigeons, racoons, cougars, tigers or elephants. I live near the zoo… ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/108 "2014-09-23T21:46:19Z")
I was reading through to see if anyone mentioned something that was likely. I was thinking wasps, but I haven’t seen any in the area. Then **MacTech** mentioned mosquitoes. Yeah, those turn up at least once a year. The neighbors have claimed that possums can come through the alley, but they’ve never seen any themselves, just heard stories. We get hawks and woodpeckers and feral parrots flying through, but they’ve always kept to themselves. So I’m stuck with mosquitoes. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/109 "2014-09-23T21:50:35Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What about drop bears? No drop bears in suburbia. Like 99% of our wildlife, you need to get beyond the civilized bits and into the bush before there’s any threat. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/110 "2014-09-23T22:20:10Z")
Oh, so many choices here in Alberia. In order of most likely to get me; Moose, Black bear, cougars, (two and four footed), coyotes, wolves, wolverine, rabid grey squirrels, ravens, other corvids,and the ever vicious Black capped [chickadee](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Poecile-atricapilla-001.jpg), rapists of the woodland, they are. Don’t let their innocent eyes fool you; Vicious! ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/111 "2014-09-24T00:50:36Z")
I was attacked by a cardinal, 10 ft from my house. One of its babies fell out of nest, and I got too close to it. Got dive bombed twice before I realized what was happening. That is the only wild animal that has attacked me around here. Aside from bugs and/or insects. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/112 "2014-09-24T01:23:31Z")
Sprayed by a skunk, most likely. I have seen coyotes near my house but I don’t worry about them attacking me. In theory there are rattlesnakes around here but I’ve never seen one or known of anyone seeing one. Brown Recluse spiders! They are around and they will definitely mess you up but again, I’ve never known anyone that got bitten by one. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/113 "2014-09-24T06:11:10Z")
Melbourne, would be a spider or snake but if I go for a swim a ray (not a shark, they are rare). ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/114 "2014-09-24T09:24:25Z")
Funnel web spider. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/115 "2014-09-24T16:43:46Z")
There are a LOT of wild animals in the Austin city limits that COULD attack, bite, kick or injure people. I’ve never been worried about any of them, but I’m sure that ALL of the following animals have sent people to Austin’s ERs many times: Coyotes; they’re more likely to attack pets than people, but still… Deer; don’t let the big, beautiful eyes fool you- those things can give you a VERY painful kick! Assorted snakes; Not necessarily poisonous ones (though there ARE rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and coral snakes around), but there are numerous snakes here that can and will bite- Texas rat snakes are pretty harmless but they’re quite aggressive and will bite if you get too close. Raccoons; more likely to run up a tree or down a sewer than to bite, but they WILL scratch and bite if you try to shoo them away from your garbage can. Opossums (See “Raccoons”) Bats; there are loads of them around Austin, and while they’re q popular tourist attraction, several people each year get bitten by grounded bats and have to get rabies shots. Finally, the one and only Austin animal that HAS attacked me several times: MOCKINGBIRDS! Seriously, these guys are extremely territorial and protective of their young in the Springtime. Any dog, cat or person that comes close to a tree with a mockingbird nest in it will get dive-bombed repeatedly by Mommy and Daddy mockingbird! Skunks (vicious AND stinky little buggers) ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/116 "2014-09-24T19:08:36Z")
Birds. It’s always birds. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281/117 "2014-09-25T02:32:31Z")
Magpies, already been attacked a couple of times this month. Some just swoop in and click their beaks, but others will rip in if they can. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-wild-animal-are-you-most-likely-to-be-attacked-by-in-your-current-location/699281.md?page=5)